In just two days, Zhang San, the leader of the bandits, became the leader of the homeless team.

Just because yesterday, Zhang San hunted a wild beast and distributed a bowl of broth to everyone.

Liu Mianzhi is sick, Xu ate too much wild vegetables the day before yesterday, and had several stomach pulls yesterday.

On the third day, the whole person collapsed, his face was pale, and he could not stand steadily.

However, the ranks of displaced people will not stop because he is alone, and if they arrive in Shandong one day earlier, they will be able to get the fields and grain one day earlier.

In desperation, Xu Cun had to carry Liu Mianzhi on his back and grit his teeth to keep up with the team of homeless people.

But he is single and weak, and he has only eaten wild vegetables for the past two days, so where does he have the strength.

After only five miles, he was so tired that he was out of breath, and his eyes were full of stars.

Listening to Xu Cun's heavy wheezing, Liu Mianzhi said in a weak tone: "Brother Chengsuo, let me down, you go to Shandong first." ”

"To my brother, don't talk nonsense."

Xu Cun's words are like gold, and if he says one more word at this time, he feels that it is a burden.

"I'll carry it."

At this moment, a deep voice sounded in the ears of the two.

Looking up, I saw Zhang San standing in front of him for some time.

"Thank you!"

Xu Cun was not reckless, his face was grateful, and he put Liu Mianzhi down.

After Zhang San took it, he easily put it on his back and turned his head to leave.

The group walked and rested, until noon, a boundary monument on the side of the road appeared in everyone's field of vision.

The crowd erupted in cheers.

"It's time to Shandong!"

In just four words, the exhausted team of displaced people showed a smile.

Everyone poured out of nowhere and quickened their pace.

After walking less than two miles, I saw that there was a checkpoint on the official road ahead.

The two-meter-high rejection of horses blocks the official road tightly.

Hundreds of heavily armed Xuanjia soldiers were waiting on both sides of the road, and the terrifying aura was rushing towards them.

Seeing this scene, everyone's faces changed and they paused.

Da-da-da-da!

Dozens of cavalrymen broke away from the formation and headed straight for them.

The team of displaced people suddenly panicked, and Zhang San swallowed his saliva and forced himself to calm down.

When they galloped to the front, the cavalry reined in their horses, and the cavalry led by them said loudly: "Who are you?" ”

Zhang San replied: "This military master, we are here to defect to the county magistrate Han. ”

The first cavalryman was obviously not surprised, and ordered: "Everyone, hand over your weapons, and if you have any private possession, you will be severely punished!" ”

Zhang San hesitated slightly, that steel knife was his only possession.

Just seeing the cold eyes of the cavalry, he gritted his teeth, first put Liu Mianzhi down, and then pulled out the long knife at his waist and threw it on the ground.

Seeing this, the homeless people who followed him also threw away their knives and bamboo poles.

The weapons to be collected, the cavalryman waved his hand: "Come with a certain family!" ”

The outcasts followed the cavalry all the way to the front of the level.

The rejection of the horse was moved a hole for only two people to pass, and the line of displaced people lined up in a long line, one by one to be interrogated.

When it was Xu Cun and Liu Mianzhi's turn, the soldiers who were checking looked the two of them up and down, and said in a surprised tone: "Scholar? ”

"Yes."

Xu Cun nodded, and then said: "I was invited to Shandong to take up a post, I never thought that I was hit by water bandits halfway, and now my friend is seriously ill, can you send me to the nearest county for treatment?" ”

Hearing this, the soldier's face changed slightly, and he hurriedly asked, "Do you have a certificate?" ”

"There is a letter as proof, my friend's surname is Xie Mingding, I don't know if you can deny it?"

Xu Cun said as he took out a letter from his arms.

"Xie Shangshu?"

The soldier was startled, took the letter and said: "The two ministers will wait for a while, and a certain family will come when they go." ”

With that, the soldier took the letter and departed.

It didn't take long for several supplementary officers to walk briskly.

The letter was soaked in water, and the ink was blurred, but the seal was still very clear, apparently of fine ink.

One of the officers asked, "Mr. Yiping?" ”

"Exactly!"

Xu Cun nodded.

Seeing that someone recognized him, he couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief.

The supplement said respectfully: "Sir, please, I will arrange a carriage to send Mr. to the county seat." ”

The other two supplementary officers stepped forward to support Liu Mianzhi.

After passing through the rejection of the horse, I saw several grass huts built on both sides of the official road, and the displaced people who came in lined up again and were guided to the grass huts on the right side of the official road.

Xu Cun said curiously: "What is this doing?" ”

The supplement explained: "Mr. Hui, this is after registering the household registration, and after the registration is made, a certificate will be issued to each displaced person, and then the voucher can be used to receive rice and paper clothes from the township where he is looking to settle, and the local government will also allocate land for him." ”

"This is a great good!"

Xu Cun's eyes lit up and he clapped his hands.

In the grass shed on the other side of the official road, several cauldrons are steaming, and a faint fragrance of rice porridge surrounds the tip of the nose.

After registering, the homeless people can go to the opposite side to receive a bowl of rice porridge with their vouchers.

Gollum!

Xu Cun swallowed his saliva, and his stomach growled uncontrollably.

Xu Cun said embarrassedly: "My friends and I have been living with wild vegetables for the past few days, can you give us some food?" ”

The supplement officer slapped his head and said apologetically: "It's my negligence, Mr. Yiping, don't blame, please come here." ”

"It doesn't matter."

Xu Cun smiled.

Brought Xu Cun and Liu Mianzhi to the grass shed, and the supplement brought two bowls of steaming rice porridge and a small plate of pickles.

Rice porridge is boiled with mixed grains and mixed with some wild vegetables.

Xu Cun was so hungry that he didn't care about the heat, so he ate the small pickles very sweetly.

After two bowls of rice porridge, Liu Mianzhi's face was much better, and the whole person was a lot more energetic.

Half of his previous weakness was due to diarrhea, and the other half was purely hypoglycemia.

The supplement said, "Mr. Yiping, the carriage is ready, and after a short rest, it is ready to set off." ”

"Thank you!"

Xu Cun arched his hand.

"Where the duty lies, Mr. Yiping doesn't need to be polite."

The supplement officer hurriedly waved his hand, and then said with a look of admiration: "I have read the "Lecture Notes of the Six Classics" written by Mr., which is really beautiful and thought-provoking. ”

Xu Cun saw that this person's words and deeds exuded a bookish atmosphere, which was completely different from ordinary officials, and at this moment, he heard the other party say that he had read his own book, and couldn't help asking: "Are you a scholar?" ”

The supplement officer said with a ashamed face: "My qualifications are dull, and I am still just a showman." ”

Xu Cun comforted: "Don't be vain, accumulate thick and thin, there are not a few late bloomers, think of Su Laoquan, work hard at the beginning of twenty-seven, and eventually become a generation of Confucianism." ”

"The students remember the teachings of the master."

The officer bowed.

At this time, Liu Mianzhi on the side asked, "Are you a Xu official now?" ”

The supplementary officer heard the regret in his words and explained: "Mr. Haojiao knows that under the rule of the county magistrate, there are no more officials, and now he has changed to a supplementary official. For those who fill the office, everyone can become an official, or take the entrance examination, or be promoted based on political performance. ”

"In Shandong, whether you are a scholar or not, if you want to be an official, you need to start from a supplementary official. The county magistrate said that supplementing officials is the cornerstone of the imperial court, and only by understanding the suffering of the people and serving as the rear of the officials can they truly ask for the people's lives. ”

Hearing this, Liu Mianzhi said with emotion: "What a Han Zhen, what a good one to share the world with Xu officials!" ”

The supplement officer was curious: "Didn't you ask this gentleman's name?" ”

Liu Mianzhi reported to his home: "My surname is Liu Mianzhi, and the words are in the middle." ”

"It turned out to be Mr. Baishui's face, disrespectful and disrespectful."

The supplement officer looked solemn and bowed.

As Yang Shi's protégé, his name is greater than that of Xu Cun, and he and Hu Xian, Liu Zihui and others founded the "Liu Hu School", and his "Caotang Anthology" is regarded as the benchmark of science by countless Fujian Luo scholars.

At this moment, the team of displaced people who had eaten rice porridge set off again.

Seeing this, Liu Mianzhi hurriedly got up and came to Zhang San with Xu Cun.

Liu Mianzhi bowed and said: "The grace of saving life, toothless and unforgettable, I don't know where the hero was assigned, I will definitely come to the door to thank you in the future!" ”

"You don't have to come to the door to thank you."

Zhang San waved his hand and said loudly: "I only hope that the two ministers will become officials in the future, and they will be better for the people for the sake of me carrying you a ride." ”

"Taught!"

Liu Mianzhi and Xu Cun stood in awe and bowed together.

"I'm gone."

Zhang San waved his hand and led the team of displaced people to set off.

With a bowl of rice porridge as a base, these displaced people are full of expectations and yearning for a new life.

Seeing the team of displaced people leave, Xu Cun sighed with emotion: "There are real heroes in the recklessness. ”

Liu Mianzhi nodded in agreement: "With just this sentence, my trip is worthwhile." ”

After resting for a while, the two of them got into the ox cart with the supplement officer and headed towards Siyang Town along the official road.

After arriving in Siyang, the supplement officer helped hire a doctor, arranged accommodation, and borrowed a few more money to the two of them.

After three days of recuperation in Siyang, Xu Cun and Liu Mianzhi set off again and rushed to Suqian.

Before leaving, the two of them left a pair of pen and ink and presented them to the supplementary officer to express their gratitude.

The re-officer was overjoyed, as if he had been treasured.

……

Sitting on the merchant ship, looking at the hot and thriving scene in the farmland along the way, Liu Mianzhi couldn't help but chuckle and said: "Brother Chengsuo, I'm afraid I can't scold Xie Shouqi." ”

Xu Cun nodded and said: "Just look at the people under his rule, Han Zhen and his people do have the appearance of a master." ”

The land of Shandong is in stark contrast to the two Zhejiang provinces in the south of the Yangtze River.

When he was in Siyang Town, he already felt that the officials in the town were clear, the people lived and worked in peace and contentment, and the garrison was strictly disciplined.

While the two were talking, a city came into view.

"The two ministers, Suqian has arrived."

The voice of the captain sounded at the right time.

After a while, the merchant ship slowly docked at the wharf, and the two stepped on the pedal to the wharf and went straight to Suqian County.

As soon as I entered the city, the atmosphere of prosperity suddenly came to my face.

Pedestrians rub shoulders on the streets, cars and horses are endless, and the sounds of hawking, frolicking, and talking are endless.

Suqian was originally a central county, and there were only more than 30,000 people under its rule at first, but since it was occupied by Han Zhen, it has continued to absorb the displaced people of Lianghuai, so that the population under its rule has reached 80,000 in just a few months, and this number is still growing.

Liu Mianzhi exclaimed: "The magistrate of this place is quite talented, and he has governed a middle county so prosperously. ”

The two walked along the street all the way to the county office.

I saw that in front of the county office, there were many people crying.

These people were dressed in silk and satin, and at first glance they knew that they were the gentry of the city.

Liu Mianzhi and Xu Cun glanced at each other, paused one after another, and looked lively.

Not long after, a supplementary official walked out of the county government and said in a loud voice: "The magistrate told you to disperse as soon as possible, don't block the yamen." ”

"If you don't give us an explanation today, we won't leave."

"Yes, I have to give an explanation."

"Why do we have to pay more taxes?"

“……”

The supplement officer's face was gloomy, and he said sharply: "Give me a beating!" ”

As soon as the words fell, a group of soap squad officials rushed out of the yamen, raised the water and fire sticks in their hands, and slapped these gentry and big families in the face.

These people who beat them cried and shouted for their mothers, and fled in all directions.

"Humph!"

The supplementary officer snorted coldly: "Toast and don't eat and drink, and if you dare to come to the county government to make trouble, you will deal with it as a rebellion, and let the Qingzhou army come to quell the rebellion!" ”

Hearing the three words of the Qingzhou Army, the remaining gentry and big families ran away with an uproar.

(End of chapter)